Announcement of Staged Reading & Summer Show

Hello Troupies! The executive board, with the assistance of the incoming board, has determined our 2015 summer show and our Fall 2015 staged reading.

The summer show will be This Is Our Youth, by Kenneth Lonergan, directed by Emily Prescott.

The staged reading will be The Skriker, by Caryl Churchill, directed by Kyle Tague.

Congratulations! Stay tuned for more information on summer show acting, tech, and producing opportunities.

Fall 2015 Staged Reading Pitches

Hello membership! Here are the pitches we received for the Fall 2015 staged reading:

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon, directed by Daniel Ehrenpreis & Brittany Jenkins The Pillowman, by Martin McDonagh, directed by Karen Loewy The Skriker, by Carolyn Churchill, directed by Kyle Tague

Tomorrow during General Meeting #5, the pitching teams will have an opportunity to explain their shows to the membership. Members will then have an opportunity to ask questions about the pitches and offer their feedback to the executive board, who will make their selection following the conclusion of the GM. Take this time to check out the shows and gather your thoughts.

Don't forget that tonight is your last chance to see Private Lives! Tickets can be purchased at troupeprivate.eventbrite.com

Fall 2015 Pitch Season

Hello membership! For the second time, we will be releasing the main stage pitches received for our Fall 2015 season. Any dues paying member is encouraged to attend our Third General Meeting on March 22, 7 PM, in the Agganis Student Theater. At that meeting, you will hear the creative teams pitch their shows, as well as address any potential issues our reading committee came across in their evaluation. Then, you will have the opportunity to vote for the two mainstage shows you’d like to make up our Fall 2015 season. Keep in mind the Parents Weekend show is decided by the executive board and Dean of Students office; we will have made our selection by the time of the Third General Meeting, so you have a better picture of the season you are voting for. Additionally, keep in mind Staged Reading pitches are due April 1st, with one pitch being selected by the executive board. (This makes for a total of four shows - Parents Weekend, a staged reading, and two main stages.)

Remember that you are voting for a season, not just two shows you happen to like. And remember – democracy only works if people show up. No excuses: get there and vote!

Here are the shows that were submitted as main stages (in alphabetical order). Take advantage of the time you have from now until March 22nd to research the shows and ask the creative teams questions. An informed vote is a good vote!

Deathtrap - Kyle Tague The Pillow Man - Karen Loewy Really Really - Rachel Skalka Wit – Joseph McLaughlin

The following were submitted for consideration for Parents Weekend. The executive board will make a selection by the Third General Meeting on March 22nd.

Spring Awakening – Evan Creedon, Music Direction by Jessie Rosso

Finally, here are the pitches for Summer Show, which goes up for BU Orientation students over seven weeks throughout the summer. A summer show will be selected by the executive board before the end of the semester.

Betrayal - Aryeh Harris-Shapiro & Kyle Tague The Glass Menagerie - Katy Taylor This Is Our Youth - Emily Prescott Proof - Ali Edwards

Note: If you believe your pitch is missing, there’s a typo, or you notice any other sort of problem, please let me know. Have great weeks!

Spring 2015 Season & Pitches for Staged Reading

Hello membership! For those of you who missed the voting period or news about our 3rd General Meeting (and shame on you), here is our Spring 2015 Season:

The Laramie Project (Charity Show), by Moises Kaufman, directed by Aryeh Harris-Shapiro Private Lives, by Noel Coward, directed by Joseph McLaughlin Hail Satan!, by Mac Rogers, directed by Kyle Tague

(Note: the above season order is not final.)

However! Our season is not yet complete. In addition to three mainstages, the executive board is restarting an old Stage Troupe tradition: the staged or semi-staged reading, which will go up in the Student Theater. For those unaware, a staged/semi-staged reading refers to a performance of a play without advanced technical elements. This means the production will have a directing team, a cast, a producing team, and a stage management team - but nothing else. It will be up to the directing team if there will be blocking or simple-to-acquire props, hence "semi-staged." The show will also not be memorized and will be performed with scripts in-hand, hence "reading."

There are many advantages to reintroducing the staged reading. It will provide expanded acting opportunities without putting additional stress on our current technical resources - it is in essence a "fourth show" without a crew. By not including technical elements, we have the special opportunity to put on a play that would not otherwise be possible in our Student Theater space (something to keep in mind when selecting a play to pitch). Does your favorite show require a three-story set or expansive fire effects? This may be a great opportunity to see it performed! In addition, by distilling the performance down to exclusively acting and performance, this show will have a unique opportunity to forge an intense, focused director-actor relationship and deep exploration of the chosen text.

Interested in pitching? Great! Download the "Staged Reading Pitch Form" (which will be available under "Forms & Resources" shortly), fill it out, and email the completed form along with a .pdf copy of the script to our president, Abi Oshins, at aoshins@bu.edu. The pitch deadline is December 3rd at 5 PM. Following that deadline, pitches and directing teams will be announced on this blog. On December 7th, following the 4th General Meeting and Space Cleaning, we will have a "town hall meeting" in which directing teams will briefly describe their show and vision and how it would work as a staged reading. Interested members may offer their thoughts and concerns. Following this meeting, the executive board will collectively make a selection to be posted later that evening.

Keep in mind the executive board is looking for a show that will translate well to a staged reading. In addition, we look favorably upon shows that have robust cast sizes and  reasonable gender ratios. (Keep in mind we currently only have an 18-actor season for our mainstages). Finally, consider pitching a show that is well-established and has good public awareness: a staged reading can be a hard sell, and we want people to see and enjoy our work. A more established work will more likely draw an audience.

Interested in acting in this staged reading? Auditions will be held one week following main stage auditions next semester. Actors cast in a main stage are asked to not audition in order to give the rest of our acting base additional opportunities.

That's about it. Have questions, comments, concerns? Feel free to email stage@bu.edu or raise them at any open executive board meeting (Sundays at 6 PM). Have great weeks!